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I-84 EB up again in Southington, 12 hours ahead of schedule, reports governor; WB open between 7 and 8

by mchaiken • June 29, 2014 • Comments Off on I-84 EB up again in Southington, 12 hours ahead of schedule, reports governor; WB open between 7 and 8

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today announced in a press release that the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s weekend bridge replacement project of I-84 over Marion Avenue in Southington is virtually complete with I-84 EB opening at 4:30 p.m. today – 12-plus hours ahead of schedule. Interstate 84 Westbound, also well ahead of schedule, is tentatively set to open between 7 and 8 PM.

“After months of diligent planning, design, stakeholder outreach and around-the clock-prefabrication, I was informed by CTDOT that the project is nearly completed and I-84 Eastbound is reopening shortly to vehicular traffic,” said Malloy in the release.” A lot was riding on this project getting done without any problems and with very little inconvenience to the nearly 85,000-plus people that travel on this portion of I-84 every day. This is another great example of ConnDOT thinking outside the box to deliver a major bridge project with as few interruptions as possible for the public.”

Beginning in the summer of 2013 the department’s contractor, Northern Construction, utilizing Accelerated Bridge Construction techniques, prefabricated new bridge superstructures to replace the existing units that were built in 1963 and were in poor condition, said the governor’s release. By employing ABC principles, the DOT virtually eliminated what would have been many months or even years of traffic disruptions and congestion on Interstate 84 and local roads. Only one weekend closure of Interstate 84 was required for the replacement and installation of two new 102-foot-long bridges weighing 2 million pounds each.

“Our agency has consistently looked for better ways to deliver projects while minimizing the impacts to traffic, businesses and local communities,” said ConnDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker in the press release. “I’m happy to say that this major project, using ABC technologies, has been a phenomenal success. My thanks and appreciation goes out to the CTDOT’s construction team, Northern Construction, the Town of Southington, the Southington Police Department and the Connecticut State Police in this endeavor. The cooperation and partnership exhibited with this project sets the standard for us on future ABC projects.”

The CTDOT has used ABC in the past on a smaller scale, but the replacement of the I-84 bridges in Southington over Marion Avenue marks the first time that the technique has been used on a large-scale construction project, said the release. While not every bridge project is suitable for ABC, CTDOT will continue to use this technology in other locations around the state after the success of this major bridge replacement.